Page 59 of Safe
"All that is in the past now. I did what I had to do to get you here, so you would come around," he said, smirking inches from my face.
"Come around to what?" I asked, though, not really wanting the answer.
"Well, us, of course."
"There is no us anymore, Landon. You tried to fucking kill me!" I attempted to leave the kitchen, but his hand clenched harder around my arm, jerking me back to face him.
"I don’t think you get it, Danielle." He brushed the strand from my face with a deliberate slowness as his stare bore into mine, like he was daring me to look away. "This is your life now. You’re not going anywhere."
His words confirmed my worst fears. Landon had completely lost his grip on reality.
Paralyzed by terror, I stood motionless, trying my best to calculate how to survive this. How the hell was Alex going to track me down in this remote house? I didn’t know how far we were from Grand Junction, and there was no way for him to track me. Landon kept rambling on about something, but it fell into the background of my frantic thoughts. I couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving Cody behind. If something happened to meand he believed I hated him, the regret would haunt me until I took my last breath.
Would he even come searching for me?
I wouldn’t.
And I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t.
Landon's unsettling calmness created a dangerous gray area between threat and madness. Did he really intend to harm me, or was this psychological torment, knowing full well the revulsion I felt toward him?
“Danielle.”
I snapped back to the present and looked up at Landon’s frustrated stare as he realized I hadn’t heard a word he said.
“There’s a dress upstairs in your room for dinner.”
I was appalled. “Eat shit, Landon. I’m not wearing a fucking dress, and I’m not eating dinner with you. Are you insane?”
Landon set the kitchen knife down and approached, invading my space until his face was inches from mine. Close enough that I could feel his breath on me, making my skin crawl.
"You're going to put it on, and you’re going to enjoy a nice dinner with me, or I'm going to fucking kill Cody."
My heart froze.
Had I said Cody’s name by accident? How did Landon know?
I could feel my composure unraveling. I couldn’t control myself anymore. I broke down crying as Landon walked back over to the kitchen counter and grabbed the knife, waving it around without any consideration for my or his safety as he paced back and forth.
"Look at you, stupid as ever, trying to calculate how I knew.” Landon laughed, becoming more reckless with the knife. “It wasn’t that fucking hard, Danielle. I mean, once I broke intoAlex’s house and saw all his roommate’s belongings were gone, it wasn’t hard to figure out.”
Think, Danielle. Don’t say anything stupid.
Before I could react, Landon seized a handful of my hair, wrenching my head back with a forceful tug. The cold steel of the knife pressed against my throat.
“Fuck him. I’m claiming the life I wanted with you, the one you fucking gave him, you stupid slut. Now, go put the dress on like the obedient bitch you are."
He turned away, leaving me overwhelmed with fear and rage. I ran back to the room upstairs, slamming the door behind me. My anger reached a crescendo, and I hit the wall with all the strength I could muster. I hit it with enough adrenaline that the aging plaster crumbled beneath my fist. Despite the nauseating feeling growing, I knew eating dinner with Landon was the one chance I had to keep Cody and Alex safe.
Opening the closet, I found a little black dress, form-fitting and revealing. I was disgusted. Landon had no right to see me in this. I hesitated as I slipped it on, feeling exposed and degraded. The idea of walking down the stairs and seeing Landon instead of Cody was more than I could tolerate. If Alex and Cody ever found me, if rescue came, I hoped they'd understand the bullshit I endured to ensure their survival.
Against my will, I made my way downstairs to the dining room. Landon had attempted to transform the neglected space, draping a dark red tablecloth over the dusty table and setting out an antique candelabra adorned with lit candles. The dim glow flickered off the intricate, yet inappropriate, place settings positioned at opposite ends of the table. Catching my eye as he plated dinner, Landon smiled.
"You look incredible," he said, finishing up and approaching me.
I flinched as his hands landed on my waist, scanning me with a disgusting look that made my skin crawl. I couldn't recall a time when I felt more violated and enraged.
"Don’t fucking touch me," I managed to spit out through clenched teeth.
